Solar half parabolic shell smelter with a heliostat on a turntable

ABSTRACT

Developed is a solar cooker with triangle reflective sides. Above and below are two movable solar reflecting panels, that can be adjusted to focus light onto an invented frying pan using a glass lid, an insulating pad, and a surrounding plastic bag to trap solar light for cooking. The triangle reflective sides are used also to adjust and support the two movable solar reflecting panels via movable pegs. In the corners adjacent to the triangle sides, back reflective plate and reflective floor plate is an invented reflective equilateral triangle, to capture and reflect light towards the solar frying pan assembly. At night the entire solar cooker can be folded down to form a storage space. The entire solar cooker is foldable for shipping. (123 words).

PRIOR ART

Solar cooking is not new, but what has been advancing is the art ofmaking it more useful and convenient for users. One of the earliestdesigns were early people using rocks heated by sunlight to cook food.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,859,745 (von Brudersdorff, May 4, 1954) illustrates anearly art using a curved surface to focus the sun's energy onto acooking surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,497 (Andrassy, Feb. 17, 1976) illustrates a trackingsolar cooker with movable reflecting sides, focusing the sun's energyinto a cooking oven, which is designed-to be constantly level.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,391 (Way, Mar. 7, 1978) illustrates a portable solarcooker using a plurality of adjustable sun reflectors, focusing thesun's energy below a transparent window.

U.S. Patent Apr. 4, 1978 (Rodgers, Apr. 4, 1978) illustrates: an ovenand grill with reflecting panels above, below, on the sides and in thecorners, focusing the sun's energy into a cooking chamber.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,106 (Clevett, Dec. 19, 1978) illustrates a solarstove having four rectangular reflective panels, with adjacenttriangular reflectors. The interior of the drawer is dark to absorbsolar energy.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,721 (Posmansky, Apr. 8, 1980) illustrates the use ofa vacuum for trapping solar heat into a flask to heat a liquid.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,508 (Kerr, Dec. 2, 1980) illustrates a kit to teachprincipals involving insulation, reflection, solar ray conversion tosolar heat, and the fine art of solar cookery.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,244 (Marks, Oct. 28, 1986) illustrates a solarheater using phase-change materials, thus illustrating the use ofthermal mass for solar heat storage.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,196 (Kerr, Apr. 7, 1987) illustrates a solar cookerthat can be installed in a wall of a home or building.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,320 (Burns, Jul. 18, 1989) illustrates a solar ovenwith a collapsible reflector assembly with an interior cooking chamber.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,339 (Ghatak, Jul. 25, 1989) illustrates a solar ovenwith a rectangular cooking pan.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,845 (Nix, May 19, 1992) illustrates the use of areflecting adjustable table top, to reflect light downward onto aparabolic surface. Unique is a solar oven with dual glass chambers withan overhead solar absorbing cast iron plate. The entire oven issurrounded by a high temperature plastic bag.

U.S. Pat. No. D484,736 (Surmoff, Jan. 6, 2004) shows the design of afoil tent that can be used as a roaster.

All of the above art illustrate that solar cooking technology has grownconsiderably, integrating the basic principles of heat transfer. Theinvented device improves upon the technology.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Described is an improvement in the art of solar cooking, cooking foodwith sunlight. Described is a triangle shape solar cooker, with tworeflective triangular sides. Above and below are two moveable reflectivepanels, held in place by pegs and holes. The moveable reflective panelsare adjusted so as to redirect sunlight downwards and towards a specificdesign of cookware, using a frying pan. At the back is a reflectiveplate, and on the floor is another reflective plate, which also directssunlight to the solar cooking area. In the corner, where the back plate,floor plate and also one of the reflective triangular sides meet, is anequilateral triangle. This equilateral triangle is angled at 60 degreesin all directions, and captures sunlight from either of the two moveablereflective panels, or from the reflective back plate, or from the sundirectly. The equilateral triangle thus is able to redirect light andconcentrate the light towards the cooking dishware.

The frying pan is covered by a clear, perhaps glass, lid. Underneath thefrying pan is an insulating pad, so as to insulate the bottom.Surrounding the entire assembly is a clear plastic bag, designed to trapsolar heat. This plastic bag can be made of high temperature resistantplastic, and works much like a greenhouse.

At night when the invented device is not used, the upper and lowerreflective panels can be lowered to create an interior cavity thusstoring the frying pan and other accessories. A peg and hole assemblylocks the lowered reflective panels.

The invented device is pointed at the sun at least hourly, during sunnyconditions. The invented device is more ergonomic in that it has a small“foot print”, and thus uses less floor or table space when in use. It iseasy to use, and understand. Temperatures have been measured at 300 F.degrees, capturing close to 1,000 BTUs per hour, in test. The inventeddevice is also foldable for easy shipping.

The invented solar cooker is an improvement in the culinary art of solarcooking. It can be made out of plastic, metal, wood, cardboard or othersuitable materials. The reflective surface can be aluminum mylar (potatochip bags) or silver mylar, or electroplated with aluminum oxide, gold,silver, or other reflective materials. The dishware can be commonlyfound, even at thrift stores, thus making the invented device affordableand easy to make. The invented device also can be used for otherapplications like distillation of water or alcohols, drying of fruit orfish, disinfecting medical instruments, or sterilization.

FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a isometric view of the invented device. Shown aretwo movable reflective panels, held in place by moveable pegs. On theside are two triangular reflective plates that also have holes forholding in place the pegs. A cutaway is shown for the solar frying pan.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the invented device. Shown are twomovable reflective panels, held in place by moveable pegs. On the sideis shown one of the two triangular reflective plates. Also shown are theholes for holding the pegs. A cutaway is shown for the solar frying pan.

FIG. 3 illustrates frontal view of the invented device. Shown are twomovable reflective panels, held in place by moveable pegs. Also shownare the reflective back plate, and reflective floor plate.

FIG. 4 illustrates the equalateral reflective triangle. This triangle isplaced in the corner adjacent to one of the reflective triangularreflective plates, and adjacent to the reflective floor plate andreflective back plate. The net result is to capture direct sunlight,sunlight from the reflective triangular reflective plates, andreflective floor and back plates and from the upper and lower moveablereflective panels, and redirect sunlight to focus on the solar fryingpan. The net result is numerous suns are focused onto the cookingsurface.

FIG. 5 shows the invented cooking dishware. Illustrated is a metalfrying pan, which absorbs and captures sunlight, thus storing the heatof the sun's energy in the thermal mass. On top is a clear glass lidthat transmits the sun's light into the frying pan cooking chamber. Onthe bottom is an insulating pad that insulates and traps the sun's heat,and protects the solar cooker floor from excessive heat. Surrounding theentire assembly is a high temperature plastic bag, to capture and storethe sun's thermal energy, much like a greenhouse.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 gives a perspective of the invented device. Shown is the sun (1),which directs solar energy (1) towards the entire invented device.Sunlight bounces off the upper reflective panel (3). This upperreflective panel (3) is moveable up and down, hinged off the reflectiveback plate surface (5). On the sides are reflective triangular plates(11, 13), with one on the right side (13) and the other on the left side(11). The reflective interior captures any stray sunlight and redirectsit downward towards the solar cooking area (10). Below is anotherreflective and moveable panel (2). This panel (2) is hinged off thelower reflective floor plate (12). The second panel (2) redirectssunlight (1) to the cooking dishware (10). Illustrated also are holes(4) for pegs (18). This hole and peg (4, 18) assembly is used to holdthe reflective plates (2,3) in place, and unmovable even in the wind.This allows for the user to adjust the panels (2,3) to the desired angleto reflect light (1) onto the cooking dishware (10). Also, illustratedare two holes (9), which can be used to lock the moveable plates (2,3)into lowered position using a peg. This creates a storage space forafter-use for the dishware, and other accessories.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the invented device. The sun's energy(1) bounces off two moveable reflective panels (2,3), as shown bystraight arrows. The movement of the moveable reflective panels (2,3) isshown by curved arrows. The light bounces into the invented device ontothe back reflective plate (5) or onto the reflective floor (12). Holes(4) are shown for the pegs. These holes (4) are used to adjust thelocation and angle of the moveable reflective panels (2,3). Shown alsois a hole (9) for locking the reflective panels (2,3) into a loweredposition, thus creating a storage space for the solar cooking dishware(10). As shown by the dotted line (8), the two reflective panels (2,3)are lowered thus trapping anything desired to be stored in the createdcavity. Shown also is the equilateral reflective triangle (6). Thisequilateral reflective triangle captures light from the sun (1), theupper and lower moveable reflective panels (2,3), and from thereflective back plate (5) and reflective floor plate (12), and also anystray light from the reflective triangular sides (11, 13). Theequilateral reflective triangle (6) then redirects the light towards thecooking dishware (10).

FIG. 3 illustrates a frontal view of the invented device. Overhead is amoveable reflective panel (3), held in place by a peg (18). The peg (18)can be in front and also behind the moveable reflective panel (3), thustrapping it, and keeping it unmovable, even in wind. Also shown is alower moveable reflective panel (2), held in place by a peg (18). Therecan be also another peg (18) on top of the lower moveable reflectivepanel (2) to hold the panel (2) in place, even in wind. Shown also isthe reflective back plate (5), and the reflective floor plate (12).Shown also is the left triangular reflective plate (11) and the righttriangular reflective plate (13). All of which focus the sun's raysdownward towards a cooking area.

FIG. 4 illustrates the reflective equilateral triangular plate (6). Thisis positioned in the dual corners of the invented device. Theequilateral triangular plate (6) is adjacent to the reflective floorplate (12), and also adjacent to the rear back plate (5). There are twoof these (6). This reflective equilateral triangular plate (6) isadjacent also to the right reflective triangular side (13), and in theopposite hand is adjacent to the left triangular reflective side (11).The equilateral triangular plate is used to capture light from allreflective surfaces and redirect it towards the cooking area. The netresult is a concentration of solar energy.

FIG. 5 illustrates the cooking dishware (10). The frying pan (14) may bemade of metal, like cast iron. This stores and captures the heat ofsolar energy, and with the thermal mass keeps hot, even if a cloud isoverhead. Underneath the frying pan (14) is an insulating pad (16),which traps the heat of the frying pan (14), but also prevents heat frombeing conducted to the invented device. Overhead of the frying pan (14)is a clear or glass lid (15). This allows light to be transmitted to thefrying pan (14). Surrounding the entire assembly (10, 14, 15, 16) is aclear plastic bag (17) that is designed not to melt in heat. The clearplastic bag (17) captures solar heat, like a greenhouse, keeping theentire cooking area hot (10). The low center of gravity, caused by thefrying pan (10) being located at the bottom holds the entire inventeddevice stable even in wind.

A tie (7) seals the plastic bag (17).

1. A solar-cooker, said solar-cooker with dual reflectiveequilateral-triangles, said equilateral-triangles tilted at a 60 degreeangle in all three dimensions the equilateral-triangle side adjacent andattached to a horizontal-reflective-floor-plate, anotherequilateral-triangle side adjacent and attached to avertical-reflective-back-plate, and another equilateral-triangle sideadjacent and attached to a triangle-shaped-reflective-side, saidtriangle-shaped-reflective-side located vertically and attached eitheron the left side or right side of saidhorizontal-reflective-floor-plate, the triangle-shaped-reflective-sidelocated vertically and attached either on the left side or right side ofthe vertical-reflective-back-plate, the triangle-shaped-reflective-sidecontaining holes for a moveable-reflective-lower-panel and holes for amoveable-reflective-upper-panel, said holes used for pegs to hold saidmoveable-reflective-lower-panel and said moveable-reflective-upper-panelat the desired reflection angle, the moveable-upper-reflective-panelhinged to the said vertical-reflective-back-plate, themoveable-lower-reflective-panel hinged to saidhorizontal-reflective-floor-plate, means to redirect and concentratesunlight towards a cooking area.
 2. A solar cooker, using a fry pan,said fry pan made of metal or cast iron, the fry pan covered by a clearor glass lid, the fry pan with an insulating pad underneath, with theentire assembly surrounded by a high temperature plastic bag, means tocapture solar energy and heat and cook food.